How to Get Your IRS Tax Transcript (and Which One You Need)
An IRS transcript is a free summary of what the IRS has on file for you. Lenders ask for them, they show what was reported under your Social Security number, and they're the first thing a tax professional checks when something goes wrong.
By the Enrolled Agents and CPAs at A&W Tax Services · Updated
Types of transcripts
- Return transcript: most line items from the return you filed, often requested by mortgage lenders and for financial aid
- Account transcript: payments, penalties, interest and any IRS changes after you filed
- Record of account: the return and account transcripts combined
- Wage and income transcript: the W-2s, 1099s and other forms the IRS received under your SSN
- Verification of non-filing letter: proof that the IRS has no return on file for a year
Ways to get one
- Online, through your IRS individual online account at irs.gov. You'll need to verify your identity, and you can view and download transcripts right away
- By mail, with Get Transcript by Mail at irs.gov. Return and account transcripts arrive at the address on file in about 5 to 10 days
- With Form 4506-T, by mail or fax, for any transcript type
- Through a lender using Form 4506-C, if you're applying for a mortgage
- Through a tax professional, who can pull them with your authorization
What a transcript can tell you
If you haven't filed for several years, your wage and income transcripts show most of the income the IRS knows about, so the missing returns can be prepared. If you got a bill you don't understand, the account transcript shows every payment, penalty and adjustment. If a refund is held up, the transaction codes on an account transcript often show why.
Wage and income transcripts for the most recent year may not be complete until late spring, because employers and payers file their forms on different schedules.
When to get help
Transcripts are full of codes. An Enrolled Agent with your authorization can pull every year at once, read the transaction codes, and tell you exactly where you stand with the IRS and what to do next.